THE PIRATE.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 2, Issue 41, 18 July 1850, Page 4

THE PIRATE.

Eighteen years ago, the ship I commanded was dancing over tho waves on a mission of mercy. Laden by generous contributions of a New England city, she was bound to the Cape do Verds with bread for the faminestricken nnd dying. Brighter skies night never gladdened the sailor's heart than those which were bent over us; pleasantcr gales never filled the sails of the sea journeyer than those which sued us to the haven where we should be; " and may God have the shin in his holy keeping," the prayer which concluded the old English bill of lading, was heard and granted, we felt, who trod on the deck ol the stout craft, whoso errand it was to succour the destitute. We were all in high spirits, forward in the forecastle and aft in the cabin. Sailors, who are so often hungry, liable at any moment to be put on short allowance, and compelled nt times to fast entirely, know better than landsmen how to pity those whom famine threatens. Jack has ready sympathy for the man who has no biscuit in his locker. It was now the fourteenth day out just in the first grey of the morning, that the mate aroused mc with the startling inlelliucnce that a suspicious vessel was in sight. With the • first ray of light the vigilant officer had dis- i cried her, and she was so near as to be made out with n gl.iss. I was on the deck in an instant. The first glance at the strange ship i almost dispelled the fear that the mate's alarm hud occasioned.

* Why, Mr. I.arkin,' I said, laughing as I spoke, * there's nothing suspicious in llmt luhbcily looking c-nft. She is a Portuguese biifcnntino—she can't soil.' ' She looks like that build,' aaiil the mate, ' but sho is built for sailing, and she'll spread canvas in a wind like this that'll send her skimming like a gull over the sea. And look now at the men on her deck.' One glance was enough to satisfy me that the mate was right. The vessel was sharp luilt, high draught, and rigged like a bj'ignntiiie. Her masts raked very slightly ; besides the canvas usual to such a rig, she was fitted to carry a lugger sail, which, when spread I); fore the wind, would add lo her speed In nMiiimi, she was pierced for twenty-two s vecps. Her decks weie crowded with men. ' It's no honest craft, Mr. Larkin,' I sjid ' but she may not he n pirate for all that. One med not be surprised to fall in with a slaver h -fr-about."

' She's no slaver, Captain.' ' 'Why do you think so? ' 'Hccmse there ;>re guns on licr deck, instead of water casks." ' 7 did not say that she had a cargo of slaves in/ 1 .ij.lird. ' Then why does she carry so many guns 611 deck? ll' without a cargo, her guns should l.e below ; if with one tin:re should he inoro (mis on duck. It' that un't a pirate, never bulievo ma again.' As it to put nn end to our speculations s'.nr cleared up the, mystery, the suspicious craft

began to spread more cam-as, nnd as she gathered way with the (resiling breeze, they ran up to the foremast a fhg, which, when it rcaihed the truck, unslionk its folds in the wind. On a white ground we saw the terrible insignia ofthc freebooter, the death's head and crossbones, painted in diabolical black. ' I thought so,' spiil Mr. Larkin, quietly, and the ship has no guns.* 'What arms liavo you, Sir. larkiu/ I asked, * An old horse pistol, with the lock out of order.' ' And I have only nn old fowling piece nnd a pair of pistols. I fear thesa IVHows will make their own terms with us.' ' Yes, cut our throats nnd admisister to our ellccts afterwards,' replied the mate walking forward. "We made nil the sail wc could, hut fifteen minutes satisfied me that escape was impossible. The report ol'a gun liom the pirate, and a ball whistling over u», speedily brought us to. The pirate came quietly along, like a panther, which, sure ol its prey, w.cs in no great hurry to seize if. The moment In: ramo within speaking distance he hailed and ordered me to launch a bo:it, and I was about to jump int' her, to pay my respects in person to the villains, when Mr .Imrkin asked leave ti> «ji>. « If tin y want Ih« captain,' s:ii,i he, 'let iliem send for him, I'll see il tin. maU: won't answer as well.' He liril scarcely put his foot on the deck of tho pirate, when lie. ugain appeared on the mil, ond decended to tho boat. Almost nt the same instant a launch was swung over the

mil, into which twenty snvnge looking rascals armed to the teeth, sprung, and pulled towards- us. Ten minutes afterwards llicy wcie. on hoard of my vessel, and began away tho main hatch. The leader, a swarthy fellow, whose square, compact frame indiicatvil strength, and whose eyes, black and ' hazy, and hull'concealed by the lids, expressed cruelly and cunning, approached the cabin hatch, where I stood, and addressed nie in tol. ruble lOiijjlibh—* Are you captain of this vessel?' ' Yes,' I replied. ' What's your cargo?' • Flour.' 1 Where from ?' ' Histoii ' < Where to?' 'Cape de Vrrds.' * Why, they're nil starving (here,' he said opening his eyes, and looking full at me. ' Ves, nnd the flour in my vessel was treoly given by good Christiunsto feed those starving people.' The rascal continued his d< liberate gaze a

moment, then turned towards hi 3 men, who by this lime had l>ioken into ilia main Iritch, ami in a roujjli commanding tone spoke n few words in Spanish, which I could not make out. The men looked up in astonishment, nnil then withdrew to the side, where they stood gazing cautiously towards their captain, for such was my interrogator. He thru si his hand behind him, and walked to and fro quirkly for about live mir.utes; then lie said sharply, turning to me —' You Americans are heretics ; why should you send flour to feed starving Catholics }' ' Uecausc Ihey arc our fellow men, and their Savour is our Savour,' I answerod, astonished at the conduct of the man. 'lf jou lie to me,' he cried, with a fiercere.is which startled me—' if you lie to me, I'll nail you to your own deck. Is this cargo the free gift of your countiymen to the starving ?' • I'll prove it to you by my papers,' I answered- • I don't want to see your papers,' he replied :'swear it by the Savour, whose name you have just pronounced.' As he spoke he crossed himself devoutly.

■I swear it by the Holy Trinity,' I replied solemnly. ' Captain'.' lie saiil couitcouslv, 'can you supply me with two or three cn*ks of fresh w«ter ?' I gave the order, ami the water was lowered inlo I lie boat. A word dom him sent his cut thro bovir the side, lint lie lingered behind ; and alter a im.tnei.t's hesitation, as il ashamed uf what he was do'.nu, lie apprmeh, d inn with his hand extindr-d, dud ble-s you,' he txclnimed, as he felt my graip, 'and send you where the starving are proving 'or bread.' The next moment lie was gone. It is very probable thai the piraiienl rascal «ns nttt-r----wnrdes hung, as no dotibl lie deserved to be. lint however terrible his late, I am sure tint from his heart, seared and made callous by crime, nml self-desecrated, there burst forth a little warm glimmer of light which mitigated somewhat thcdesolition, and relieved, though it could not entirely dispel, the gloom of his dying hour.— l'.skdalc Advertiser.